Middle East Peace Process Has Failed For Now

Lack of Progress in Mideast Defies Obama’s Hopes -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama had hoped to go to his first United Nations meeting next week with at least one diplomatic coup: a plan to restart the long-stalled Middle East peace talks, to be announced in a three-way meeting with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

But after a fruitless week of shuttle diplomacy, his special envoy, George J. Mitchell, returned to the United States on Friday night without an agreement on freezing construction of Jewish settlements and amid fresh signs of differences on the basis for peace negotiations. Mr. Obama now faces the prospect of a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, that some say will be little more than a photo opportunity, one that will only underscore how elusive an Arab-Israeli peace agreement is.

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More News On The Middle East Process

Envoy's Mideast Trip Ends Without Accord -- Washington Post
US Envoy's Push in Middle East Yields Little -- L.A. Times
No settlement freeze, no peace negotiations: Abbas -- China View
Abbas: Israel is blocking the road to peace -- Haaretz
Road to Mideast peace 'blocked': Abbas -- AFP
Abbas meets Mubarak after Mitchell trip -- Reuters

My Comment: In the past, Israeli/U.S. policy of willing to work with states that were willing to negotiate and deal was workable. Hence .... Israel/Egypt peace agreement. Israel/Jordan peace agreement .... etc.

It is not working now.

The two sides are now dealing with issues that are deeply personal to each of them. The status of Jerusalem. Land. The sanctity of religious sites. Compensation for lost homes and property. The list goes on and on and on ....

A new approach must now be applied, but President Obama and his advisers are using an approach that worked for President Carter when he was able to get Sadat and Begin in the same room. Unfortunately .... Sadat and Begin are long gone, and the leaders in power today do not have the history or vision that their predecessors had.